PURPOSE: To investigate clinicopathological characteristics and outcomes of male breast cancer (MBC). PATIENTS AND METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the data of 20 MBC patients in comparison with female ductal carcinoma treated at Yonsei University Severance Hospital from July 1985 to May 2007. Clinicopathological features, treatment patterns, and survival were investigated. RESULTS: MBC consists of 0.38% of all breast cancers. The median age was 56 years. The median symptom duration was 10 months. The median tumor size was 1.7cm, 27.8% showed node metastasis, and 71.4% were estrogen receptor positive. All 20 cancers were arisen from ductal cells. No lobular carcinoma was found. The incidence of stages 0, I, II, and III in patients were 2, 10, 4, and 3, respectively. All patients underwent mastectomy. One with invasive cancer did not receive axillary node dissection and stage was not exactly evaluated. Adjuvant treatments were determined by pathologic parameters and stage. Clinicopathological parameters and survival rates of MBC were comparable to those of female ductal carcinoma. CONCLUSION: The onset age of MBC was 10 years older and symptom duration was longer than in female patients. No difference in outcomes between MBC and female ductal carcinoma suggests that the biology of MBC is not different from that of females. Therefore, education, an appropriate system for early detection, and adequate treatment are necessary for improving outcomes.
Adult ; Aged ; Breast Neoplasms/mortality/pathology/therapy ; Breast Neoplasms, Male/mortality/*pathology/therapy ; Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast/mortality/pathology/therapy ; Disease-Free Survival ; Female ; Humans ; Korea/epidemiology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Survival Rate ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo analyze the clinical characteristics, survival and prognosis of breast cancer patients under 30 years of age.

METHODS129 breast cancer patients under 30 years treated from Jan 1980 to May 2000 were retrospectively reviewed. Clinical features, survival and prognostic factors were analyzed by SPSS 10.0 statistic software.

RESULTSBreast cancer patients under 30 years accounted for 2.6% of all breast cancers in our hospital. The overall 5- and 10-year survival rates were 61.5% and 46.7%, respectively. For patients with tumor < or = 3 cm or > 3 cm, the 10-year survival rates were 65.5% and 27.4% (P < 0.01). For those with number of positive axillary lymph nodes 0, 1-3, or > or = 4, the 10-year survival rates were 79.5%, 40.9% or 31.4% (P < 0.01). For patients who had been treated with or without tamoxifen, the 10-year survival rates were 63.7% and 45% (P < 0.01). For those complicated with pregnancy and lactation which was found in 24.8% of such patients, the 10-year survival rate was 44.3%. In the multivariate analysis, independent prognostic factors that might improve the overall survival were tumor size, axillary metastatic status and tamoxifen treatment.

CONCLUSIONBreast cancer patients aged 30 years and younger may have good prognosis if multimodality treatment is given. Tumor size, axillary metastatic status and tamoxifen treatment are independent prognostic factors. Prognosis of patients, either complicated with pregnancy and lactation or not, is quite similar if the clinical stage is the same and if being treated by the combined therapy.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols ; therapeutic use ; Bone Neoplasms ; secondary ; Breast Neoplasms ; mortality ; pathology ; therapy ; Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast ; mortality ; secondary ; therapy ; Carcinoma, Medullary ; mortality ; secondary ; therapy ; Chemotherapy, Adjuvant ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Lactation ; Lung Neoplasms ; secondary ; Mastectomy ; methods ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Complications, Neoplastic ; pathology ; therapy ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Survival Rate ; Tamoxifen ; administration & dosage